The Peak

*Joseph*

I looked back as I drove off towards Luca's safe house. I know Sandra is going to be pissed off, but I couldn't let him get close to her. That's what he wanted. He wanted my queen. I won't allow him to even breathe her air. Jay and I discussed the other SUV being parked by the city while Zeus took her outside. He called them and ordered for it to be there. I know she will be mad at me, but she will be safe. The city guard is going to keep her in the SUV in the woods. I wish him luck. I wasn't scared really, but nervous to find Henry in bad shape or worse. When I pulled up to the house the lights were on, and a guard with a machine gun was waiting for me by the front door. I looked towards the woods, then at my chest seeing the small red light as a signal the others were closing in. I got out placing my hands above my head. I started to shout, "Luca, we don't need this trouble. Just come out and talk to me, bro." Nothing. The guards walk over patting me down. I didn't have a gun on me, but I would have soon. He motioned for me to walk in the door in front of him. I walked in slowly guarding myself. "Hello, Smoke." I heard Luca on my left turning to see him down a long hallway. "Where is the girl?" he said with a clear look of frustration. He tells the other guy something Italian. I watch as he turns to walk back outside, which satisfies me. I know this is one chess piece that will soon be removed from the board. "I felt it was better to keep her out of this. I do believe this is a situation better handled by old friends, don't you?" I said calmly trying not to immediately break his stupid fucking neck. I got a glance at a girl lying on the floor in a room off the side of the hallway we were in. She was in the fetal position. "Whose that?" I asked acting amused. He shook his head rolling his eyes at me, "You know who she is Smoke. That is why you sent the young one to spy out here." he smiled like he knew something I did, before walking into the room she was in. She was half naked and covered in welts. "Stand up whore, treat my company with respect." He said harshly, causing my blood to start boiling. "Hello, Smoke." She said trying to keep her eyes open. I knelt kissing her hand softly, "Hello darling." This girl didn't tell Luca about Henry, she is completely broken. I stood up and asked where my man was.

"Oh, he is in the garage. You didn't bring the girl," he said flatly. I heard a door slightly open and my heart raced. Was that one of my men sneaking in or the man coming to tell Luca that they tried to take him out? I didn't hear any shots. He lifted Takara from the ground by her clothes and forced her to stand. "This one is used up. I need a new girl. I want the set." He showed me an old photo with two young girls in it. One was Takara, the other stirring memories of the past. Elizabeth, my Sandra, He wanted her. "No," I said coldly. "You won't come within miles of my queen Luca." He laughed out loud at me pulling out a walkie, "Franco, Make him suffer." He gave the order before even trying to negotiate, but he probably has heard about me. I don't negotiate. "If Henry dies, all of you do as well. I promise you a little bit of pussy isn't worth it Luca." I said trying to reason with him. He smiled at me, maliciously, then opened a door to the garage dragging the girl along. Henry looked up at me, bloody and beaten, but alive. "Boss, Im sorry Smoke, I was a fucking idiot." He yelled when he looked up at me. "You alright little brother?" I asked calmly. You always stay in control in a situation like this, any type of emotion will be preyed upon. He shook his head yes, but looked in pain when he saw Takara. "What did you monsters do to her?" He screamed out. I squinted my eyes at him trying to tell him to chill, without having to say it out loud. He looked at me, and I could see him visually shaking. "She's mine, I do what I want with her Henry, I thought I had shown you that already." Luca growled, "inginocchiarsi," he continued in Italian this time speaking to her. She instantly hit her knees kneeling in front of him. He must have given her an order.

Henry closed his eyes and I realized what he meant when he had shown him. "Enough!" I yelled darkly. "I am not bringing my queen up here Luca, What do you want to do? Take me as hostage, and let Henry go. You'll get more with me as your prisoner than you will for him." I said bribing him and stalling. I was waiting to hear a knock or some kind of symbol to know I could kill this fuck and be done with this dance. He looked up at me and laughed telling the girl to sit down. "I would get a pretty reward for the king of the brotherhood, wouldn't I? One city wasn't enough for you was it Smoke? You had to have every territory giving me this cold Iceland here in the peak. I know you sent the young fella up here to spy on Takara here, Why? Was it your queen who suggested you save her from me? Is she so bold to think that I wouldn't take her back and bring the bitch right along with her? You have truly made that little twat believe you are some unshakable force here." Luca was walking back like he was schooling me or something. "Luca you are wasting your breath here, I am not one of your followers, I am not one of my men. You want me here I am. You want to kill me, I am standing right here. All this talk isn't going to accomplish anything." I smiled at him. I wasn't afraid to die, usually, but now I didn't want to leave her. I had something new, something more, something to live for. "Boss, no, this is my fault. I should have headed straight out, but I didn't." Henry again was talking too much. This did tell me that the girl didn't tell Luca he was there, he just hung around long enough to get caught. "You think that's how I caught you, little fella?" Luca walked towards Henry and I braced myself. "I saw you when you were out there oggling my possession." Henry looked shocked. "Yeah, I had them follow you from there. I wanted to see where you came from, and how you got up here." Luca sounded very proud of himself.

I let out a deep sigh and walked towards Henry to untie him. "I'm done playing this game Luca, I am untieing him. If you wanna shoot me, then do it" I said with no emotion. "Fuck you Smoke." He said but didn't move. It would be a poor move to shoot me and he knows it. If I die, they all do, I have insurance in place. I tell Henry quietly to follow my lead while I free him from the chair. I help him to his feet. He is surprisingly steady probably due to adrenaline. "You aren't leaving without giving me what I need," Luca said pulling out a gun. I smiled at him. "What you need is to survive the night." I looked around him at the two guards and then back at Henry. I accessed his wounds, and well-being, deciding that he was capable of being on offense when it was time. He kept looking down at Takara. I looked down at her too, she was looking straight at Henry. This tells me they have had a moment in which they knew they would save each other, which means she will help too. I am no longer worried about not getting back to Sandra and am now only concerned about her anger towards me. She is going to be mad at all of us, except Henry. I heard a crash in the house, and then a knock. I smiled back at Henry and he instantly smiled as well. He knew the knock was a sign, telling us we had control of the situation. We often used knocks for that in a situation where we couldn't use phones, or vocally. Luca looked at us confused telling the guards to go check out the noise. "What the fuck did you do Smoke?" He said when I started to walk towards him. "You thought you could you stupid fuck?" I said now showing my complete rage towards him, feeling the darkness take over. He backed up keeping the gun pointed at me. "Go ahead bitch, shoot me, you know what happens if you do," I said smoothly standing close to his gun. "You will kill me either way Smoke, I know how cold and ruthless you are. Does she?" He said through gritted teeth. I reached for him wrestling for the gun. Henry grabbed Takara and told her to run towards the Suv outside and hide inside it. "I will kill you Smoke and that pretty little whore of yours will be mine. I can't wait to touch her, to rip her little ass apart." He said as we fought over the gun. I punched him hard in the mouth. I heard Henry shout, and then I heard a gunshot.